Metrolinx to Ban Pot Use for Certain Employees or Contractors

Metrolinx is bringing in a tough new anti-cannabis policy, banning recreational use by employees or contractors in nearly 140 categories of “safety-critical” jobs.

Phil Verster, chief executive officer of the provincial agency that oversees GO Transit and a number of small local transit agencies in southern Ontario, argued the policy is required because there is no clarity on how long cannabis can affect a person and is confident the approach could pass a legal challenge.

“We are not curtailing the right of individuals to use cannabis, we are just saying that if you want to execute the type of roles that are safety-critical … you cannot use cannabis, “ Mr. Verster said in an interview. “If there’s a lifestyle choice, there’s also a career choice.”